Last Year

I've had a bit of nostalgia all week thinking of our trip last year to Europe. One year ago Brian and I were just arriving in Venice, Italy. I remember the warm air and surprising humidity, the murky water, and the breeze blowing my hair as we sped through the canals of Venice in the watertaxi. I remember the Italian couple across from us, her petite, short summer dress and his tailored button up shirt and leather shoes, going into the heart of Venice for a weekend retreat. I remember tasting my first authentic Gelato and wandering through the narrow alleys of Venice searching for our little hotel. I remember walking through the streets as the sun set and just wandering, losing ourselves to the sounds of Venice, the dueling orchestras at St. Mark's Square and the church bell tower as it chimed out the passing hours and I remember seeing the full, red moon across the waterway as the night deepened.

Dancing Days

Maggie performed in her end-of-year dance performance last weekend. The show was "Mary Poppins" and Maggie was a lamb in the Barnyard scene. She performed baaa beautifully and was smiling and graceful. For the finale, all of the dancers decorated their own kites and danced to "Let's Go Fly A Kite". The show was so memorable, I've been singing the tunes over and over in my head since then...ugh.

Ponderings

Maggie and Sam are outside playing, their voices echo and spin against the walls of the house and drift in through the open window...there is reason to rejoice, the sun is shining after days of coastal fog...our summer is not warm and my body and soul crave the warmth of the sun...this morning, I had a few moments to reflect, to lay in the blanket of sunlight streaming into my bedroom through the glass door and just listen to the singing birds and the wind, gently moving the majestic trees. I felt a great peace and stillness as I lay there, a communion of sorts with myself and my Heavenly Father, "Be still, and know that I am God..." echoing through the chambers of my heart and mind, even though my logical mind tempts me to feel otherwise as doubt drifts in...life has been stressful for months and I haven't made enough time to just "be still", but this morning was different and I am grateful for the warm sunshine and the quiet whisperings and the gentleness of the wind.

The little things.

Humility and Gratitude, intermingled together in our daily lives. The talks on Sunday focused on these and really made me reflect. So, I am trying to focus on all the little blessings in my life and express appreciation for them. I am grateful for many things, but today I am especially grateful for online bill pay, for the time and the money it saves me so that I can do the more important things...I know it sounds like such a trivial thing, but I am grateful all the same.

Frog legs anyone?

On Friday Maggie's school held their annual ARTS and SCIENCE DAY, a day full of workshops that the kids choose months ahead of time, every kind of class, from fencing, to creepy crawlers, to making slime and rockets, and the science of plants, even animal dissection. I was one of the lucky parents who volunteered to do the FROG dissection class. It was interesting...I learned a lot about the organs systems of the body, and yes...I cut open a lot of frogs. After all day in the science lab, I was a little frogged out ...maybe next year, I will stick with the ARTS.

I enjoyed seeing Maggie on campus throughout the day, going to and from her classes. The workshops she chose included: Creepy Crawlers (where she saw a water snake, a tarantula, a tortoise, a crocodile, and a "huge lizard")Slime Making, The Mysterious World of Plants, Kitchen Art, and Water Absorbing Crystals.

I was going to include a frog dissection photo, but I'll spare you the details and the disgust.

Santa Cruz

We headed south to Santa Cruz on Saturday to escape the fog and soak in a little sun. Lisa and Garrett and Noah, our good friends came along with us. We walked the pier and strolled along the boardwalk, enjoyed rides, a corndog, fresh lemonade and some cotton candy, the first official junk food of the summer.

Maggie's Run

Maggie participated in her school Fund Run last week. She ran 18 laps, 2.2 miles in 30 minutes and never gave up. We are so proud of her determination and endurance, she is our little track star.

Grateful

I am grateful everyday that Maggie and Sam have each other. Missing Caleb is difficult; however, knowing that he very well could have come before they did or in between, would have been too much for me to bear. I recognize this blessing in my life and in their lives, one of the tender mercies that our Father in Heaven has given to me. He truly knows what we need and when and He blesses us with those things that give us peace and strength to endure our trials.

To Infinity and Beyond

"To Infinity and Beyond"...Buzz says as he takes over the evil shampoos and bath toys that have invaded my shower floor...Maggie definitely enjoyed her shower time.

Cave Country

These are a few of my favorite photos from our trip to California's Gold Rush country. We had an adventurous weekend together, one I will remember for a long time. Maggie and Sam loved exploring the different caves, learning to pan for gold in Columbia, California and breaking open their first geode. Most of the caves that were found in the area were discovered or rediscovered during the Gold Rush years when miners were searching for the mother lode.

Making the Move

I've decided that I am going to leave the old Typepad nest and move on to a new birdhouse...why? For one main reason, not having to pay 8.95 a month for the same service...how I will transfer the last years of my life over, I don't know. I probably will end up making a book out of what I've done and moving on. Is that the best idea? Not so sure. If any of you have any ideas, let me know.